Method of treating vegetable albumin for the production of an article of manufacture useful in the arts and a product.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND GERHARD WIEGHMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF TREATING VEGETABLE ALBUHIN FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ARTICLE OFMANUFACTURE USEFUL IN THE ARTS AND A PRODUCT. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, i908.

Application filed. October 30, 1906. Serial No. 341,242.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FERDINAND GERHARD WIEOHMANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, haveinvented a method of treating vegetable albumin for the production of anarticle of manufacture useful in the arts and a roduct, of which thefollowing is a specificatlon.

Broadly stated, my invention consists; first: in a method of treatingvegetable albumin, t. e., protein, however derived, to convert it into aplastic, semi-solid or solid mass, having characteristics which permitsuch mass to be molded, cast, pressed, or vulcanized into shapes, andthus allow its use under conditions where rubber or other similarresilient materials have heretofore been used. Second: the production ofan article of manufacture having the characteristics of rubber as toresiliency, capacity for molding and coloring, which is a non-conductorof electricity, non-inflammable, and which,'

when appropriately treated, like rubber, may

be given different degrees of hardness.

To carry my invention into effect, I proceed as follows :I take adefinite qlllilantity of vegetable albuminprotein ch in amount willdepend upon the primary product to be produced, i. e., whether it is tobe plastic, semi-solid or solid. If a plastic product is re uired, thepercenta .e of the veg-- etable al umin employed wil be approximatelyforty per cent. of the weight of the mass; if a semisolid, approximatelysixty per cent., and if a solid, eighty per cent.

I wish it understood that I do not limit myself in any wise to thespecific percentages stated, as they will vary in accordance with theorigin of the vegetable albumin em-- plo ed.

he vegetable albumin employed is derived from plants and is includedunder the generic terms protein or proteid and includes such bodies asare commo'nl desig- -natedvegetable albumins, vegetab e case ins, .andvegetable glutens.

A convenient way of obtaining vegetable albumin is from the waste of thevegetable ivory nut, (corozo), such as accrues in the manufacture ofbuttons. It may also be obtained from many vegetable substances, such aswheat, peas, lentils, horse beans and vetch.

The vegetable albumin may be in any condition, fluid, semi-fluid,plastic or solid. I prefer, however, that it shall be in a finelydivided condition, as when in such condition it is more readily mixedwith the other substances. employed, to which I .will now refer.

To the required percentage of vegetable albumin, which, as beforestated, will depend upon the character of the primary product to beproduced, I add as a solvent, t. e., a body with which it may chemicallycombine to form a new product, animal casein, dissolved in an organicacid, such as acetic acid, or in a solution of an alkali, such aspotassium hydroxid, or other suitable solvents may be employed. 7

The two bodies, 01. e., the vegetable albumin and the animal caseinabove described, are preferably subjected to constant stirring, or otherforms of a itation, with or Without the a plication of eat. The productob- 'tain e e., the primary mass, if plastic or semi-solid, can bemolded or pressed mto shapes in any way common in the arts. If a finalhard product is required, 1'. e., harder than the final product obtainedby varying the ercentages of the vegetable albumin emp oyed, I may stirinto the mixture of vegetable albumin and animal casein an loadingsubstance, such as lime, celluloi' sulfur, rubber, indurated fiber,siccative oils, diatomaceous earth, silica clays, or the like, and togive color to the 1product I may use bleaching agents, suc as chlorin,chlorid of lime, hydrogen peroxid, or I may add pigments in a fluid orsolid state, or

through heat or electricity efiect re-action between, or by acting upon,the introduced materials, as is well known in the art of production ofcolor. I may also subject the materials during mixing at any "timeto'the action of high or low temperature.

The molds employed may be either hot or.

cold, depending upon the product which I desire to obtain and thepressure which is em loyed.

I wish it understood that I do not limit myself in any wise to thematerials which may be incorporatedwith the original percentages of veetable albumin and ammal casein for loarIing purposes, for hardeningpurposes, for coloring purposes, or otherwise, or to the subsequenttreatment to which the product may be subjected, as, for instance,vulcanization, etc., as all such steps are within the contemplation ofmy invention.

The product roduced, whatever its deree of hardness, l consider to be anew chem- 1cal product, due to the combination of vege-' table albuminwith animal casein.

The physical characteristics of the product produced, where no coloringor loading materials are added, 11. e., its hardness, color, resiliency,non-combustibility, and specific gravity are entirely different fromthose of either vegetable albumin or animal casein, and so far as I amaware, it is impossible by any chemical or mechanical process toseparate either of these bodies from the product.

I wish it understood that I consider m self to be the first to conceivethe possib' ity of, and to describe how, vegetable albumin may beconverted when treated with a solution of animal casein into a bodyuseful in the arts, thereby bringing about the utilization of productswhich have heretofore been of little or no value.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A process of treating vegetable albumin, which consists in subjectingit to the action of animal casein.

2 A process of treating vegetable albumin, WhlCh consists in subjectingit to the action of a solution of animal casein.

3. A process of treating vegetable albumin, which consists in reducingit to a divided condition, and then subjecting it to the action of asolution'of animal casein.

4 A process of treatingvegetable albumin, which consists in subjectingit to the action of a solvent of the character described, thenintroducing one or more bodies of the character described, then molding.

5 A process of treating vegetable albumin, which consists in subjectingit to the action which consists in subjecting it to the action of, asolvent of the character described, then molding, and simultaneously topressure.

8. A processof treating vegeta le albumin, which consists in subjectingit to the action of a solvent of the character described and to theaction of heat.

9. A process oftreating vegetable albumin, which consists in subjectingit to the action of a solvent of the character described, thenintroducing a body which will effect its resiliency.

10. A process of producing the product herein described, which consistsin effecting a chemical combination between vegetable albumin and asolution of animal casein.

'11. As a new article of manufacture, a body composed of vegetablealbumin and animal casein.

12. As a new article of manufacture, 'a body having asits distinguishingcharacteristics hardness and resiliency like that of rubber butcontaining no rubber.

13. As a. new article of manufacture, a body composed of a chemicalcombination of vegetable albumin and animal casein and simulatingrubber. v

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

FERDINAND GERHARD WIECHMANN. I

